Sheffield Wednesday v Luton Town - Family of Blades, but Jack Marriott’s focus on Owls

Given that the majority of his family are Sheffield United fans, Jack Marriott could have been forgiven for having second thoughts about moving to Hillsborough on Friday of last week.
Owls manager Garry Monk with Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve EllisOwls manager Garry Monk with Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve Ellis
Owls manager Garry Monk with Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve Ellis

Considering Sheffield Wednesday were on minus seven points when they approached him about a loan from Derby County, third and fourth thoughts would be understandable too.

The Beverley-born striker had no reservations. He goes into today’s match at home to Luton Town – already his third for the Owls – keeping the door open for a longer stay despite adding a year to his Rams contract before leaving.

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Nobody who joined this season can complain they did not know what they were signing up to. A 12-point deduction from the start for financial breaches meant it was not for the faint-hearted, and the attitude shown on the pitch since suggests as much.

Sheffield Wednesday's Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve EllisSheffield Wednesday's Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve Ellis
Sheffield Wednesday's Jack Marriott. Picture: Steve Ellis

Marriott was more interested in playing for a big club whose manager is a fully paid-up member of his fan club.

“There was never any doubt in my mind,” he says. “The manager here (Garry Monk) has tried to get me a couple of times before and things just haven’t worked out but as soon as I heard Wednesday were interested, that was the only destination I wanted to go to.

“Naturally you want the manager of the team you’re joining to like you as a player or else there’s no point in going there. It’s a massive factor.”

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Not that every member of the Marriott family was jumping through hoops.

“I didn’t grow up as a Blade but the majority of my family are United fans,” he admits, “but my dad’s mum was a Wednesday fan. I phoned my aunty when I was on the way up to sign but she was just delighted for me even though she’s a Blade.”

It takes a certain type of individual to want to pull on the blue-and-white stripes at this difficult phase in the club’s history.

“I think you’ve got to be strong-minded and determined to help and show what you can do and to fight, really,” says Marriott.

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“I assume there’ve been players it didn’t particularly appeal to but I didn’t necessarily look at the points, I looked at the squad, the manager and the performances and for me that was more telling.”

Marriott has seen that determination in his new team-mates, none of whom he had played with before coming off the bench at Birmingham City last Saturday.

“It’s solid, a really good group,” he said. “The camaraderie in and around the dressing room, the training ground and on the pitch as well (is really good). They’re demanding of each other, they go about things in the right way and want the best for all of us because if we’re all doing well, the club’s doing well.

“There’s no limit to what this group can achieve, we just want to knuckle down and get out of this situation.”

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Perhaps Marriott’s qualities are reflected in his choice of pet.

“I’ve got two rotweilers and I’m obsessed with dogs,” he reveals. “Family, my dogs and a game of football and I’m really happy.

“They (rotweilers) are strong, powerful and loyal, I wouldn’t change them for the world.

“I’m direct, positive, I want to get into the box and score goals, make runs, work hard, press defences, win the ball back high up and score goals (so important he mentions it twice).”

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One impressive feature about Marriott and even more so centre-back Aden Flint who has played all 180 minutes since also joining on deadline day, is how quickly they have slotted in.

“Aden didn’t even train with us before the Birmingham game,” says Monk.

“He’d done all his pre-season training so I knew he was at a level of fitness and he has the experience to know how to manage himself through a game without that preparation. You probably wouldn’t put a young lad in that situation.

“Every time I seemed to play for Southampton I was dropped in out of nowhere, usually against big teams, and dealing with that as a young lad helped me when I got into my early 30s and I knew I wasn’t going to play regularly.”

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At 26, Marriott is nowhere near the veteran stage, but is on his ninth club, so had also learnt to get quickly up to speed for 13 minutes at St Andrew’s and a full debut in Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Brentford.

“I came up late on Thursday night to get medicals and all that sort of stuff done and it was an early start on Friday, into training, then onto Birmingham,” he says. “To make my debut and help the team secure the win against Birmingham was great. You could tell by the unity in the group how good it felt and that’s the feeling we’re after.

“The manager and the coaches have been constantly speaking to me about what different roles and responsibilities I have within the team, whether that be from set-pieces or general gameplay.

“I try to be a sponge, absorbing it all so when called upon I know exactly what I’ve got do.

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“When you’re a youngster it’s harder but you learn such an awful lot adapting to different squads and whatnot. Being older it’s been a bit more seamless.”

Could he move permanently?

“I’m open to many things,” he says. “I don’t want to put any stamp on the future because all you can control is the present.”

There is enough to think about in the short term – not that Marriott seems daunted.

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